Quick load pressure pot

ABSTRACT

A pressurized cylinder for receiving liquids to be sprayed from connected equipment. The cylinder includes a movable piston that facilitates quick loading and cleaning as it is adjusted to predetermined positions.

lO/l933' Ca'thcart ..239/373X O United States Patent [191 [111 3,733,032 McLeod May 15, 1973 54] QUICK LOAD PRESSURE POT 3,147,923 9/1964 Smalley ..239/373 3,236,268 2/1966 Simps0n..... 1 lnventori Harold McLeod, 11617 Ryerson 3,255,788 6/1966 Cook ..l41/25 V Avenue, Downey, Calif. 90241 i [22] Filed: Man 27 1972 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr.

Assistant Examiner-John J. Love PP 238,595 Attorney-Ronald L..Iuniper 52 us. Cl ..239/373, 141/27 [571 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. A pressurized cylinder for receiving liquids to be [58] Field of Search, ..222/394; l4l/l8, rayed from connected equipment, The cylinder inl 9/373 cludes a movable piston that facilitates quick loading and cleaning as it is adjusted to predetermined posi- [56] References Cited tions.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures QUICK LOAD PRESSURE POT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pressure pot cylindrical receptacle and associated spray equipment in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is a partly fragmented, longitudinally sectioned view of the pressure pot and internal apparatus taken through 2-2 inFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure pot taken through 3-3 in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmented elevational view of the loading end of the pressure pot resting in a drip-catching attachment mounted on the side of a bucket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring to the embodiment of this invention shown in the drawings the pressure pot for receiving liquid to be sprayed is a cylindrical receptacle formed with externally threaded ends onto which are screwed, respectively, an internally threaded mating top cap 22 and a bottom cap 24. A shaft 26 is slidably mounted to run through the center axis of the cylindrical receptacle 20 through a mating hole 28 centrally positioned in the top cap 22. The shaft 26 is long enough to extend through an opening 30 in the bottom cap 24 and into the bottom of the interior of an axially aligned pipe-like loading valve 32 extending down from the bottom cap 24. A loading inlet 33 opens from the bottom of the loading valve 32.

On the bottom of the shaft 26 a leather cup 34 is secured by screw 36. This cup 34 is of a sufficient size to fill and substantially seat the interior of the loading valve 32 surrounding shaft 26 when it is pushed down into the valve 32 until it also closes loading inlet 33. As the shaft 26 is raised, liquid entry is possible through the inlet opening 33 and valve 32 into the interior of receptacle 20. Leakage from the receptacle 20 is prevented by ring shaped O-ring 35 mounted in a slot within hole 28, circular O-ring 36 inset in top cap 22 and circular O-ring 38 inset in bottom cap 24. Preferably, these O-rings are made of polytetrafluoroethylene, such as Teflon, and abut so as to seal the engaged surfaces.

A slidably mounted piston 40 rides shaft 26 on a circular, central, axially aligned hole 42 extending therethrough which mates with shaft 26. The exterior of piston 40 is flattened on its top and bottom surfaces and is formed as a circular disc slidably mating with the constant axially aligned shape of the interior of cylinder 26. A pair of spaced O-rings, 44 and 46, are mounted in mating groups around the exterior circular surface of piston 40 and another pair of spaced O-rings, 48 and 50, are mounted in mating grooves cut in hole 42. These O-rings are preferably made of polytetrafluorethylene and are of sufiicient size and placement that scaling is provided in the adjacent abutting surfaces.

Cut into the bottom surface of piston 40 within hole 42 and adjacent to the engaged shaft 26 is a slotted keyway 52. A key 54 is formed as a small rod extending through a lower portion shaft 26. The key 54 is of such a size and shape, that it can fit into the keyway 52 when the shaft 26 is raised to the point of mating of these re spective parts. When so mated the keyway 52 provides an internal slotted portion within which key 54 can be engaged by turning the shaft 26 about one-half turn. Thus, the piston 40 is locked on the shaft 26 and will be raised and lowered together. The piston 40 can be unlocked from the shaft 26 by turning the shaft 26 about one-half turn in the reverse direction from that through which it was locked until the key 54 is positioned over an open area through keyway 52 and thereby disengaged from the interior slotted portion therein. A round knob 56 is mounted on the top end of shaft 26 to facilitate handling. The key 54 is located on shaft 26 so as to allow pulling piston 40 to the upper interior of cylindrical receptacle 20 when raised and to permit the bottom of shaft 26 to reach the inlet 33 in valve 32 when lowered.

On the top surface of cap 22 a closable air valve 60 communicates therethrough into the interior of receptacle 20. Cut through the side of receptacle 20 is an air pressure inlet 62 (connected to a screw-mounted inlet coupling 63) which communicates with the interior of receptacle 20 and is positioned so that it is lower than piston .40 when piston 40 is in the upper position as shown in FIG. 2. A fluid outlet passageway 64 is formed in bottom cap 24 located to communicate with the interior of receptacle 20 and a screw mounted outlet coupling 66.

The inlet coupling 63 is connected to a pressure regulator valve 68 onto which a bleed-off pressure relief valve 70 and a pop-off safety valve 72 are attached. A coupling provides an interconnection between the pressure regulator valve 68 a connector 82 for an air compressor not shown and connection with air hose 84 which is, in turn, connected adjacent to the nozzle 86 of a conventional trigger actuated spray gun 88, such as a Binks Number 18. A fluid outlet hose 90 is connected between outlet coupling 66 and the interior of spray gun 88, so as to be able to carry fluid from receptacle 20 for spraying out of spray gun 88. The system can be completely sealed when all the valves are closed.

In use spray apparatus such as shown in FIG. 1 is attached to the receptacle 20. The air valve 60 is opened and the shaft 26 is pulled up and turned to lock it to piston 40. Then the connected shaft 26 and piston 40 are pushed down to the bottom of the receptacle 20. A bucket of the fluid material to be sprayed is provided and the end of the loading valve 32 is dipped into it. When the shaft 26 is pulled up material from the bucket is sucked through inlet 33 into receptacle 20. The shaft 26 is raised until the attached piston 40 is in the upper portion of receptacle 20 above inlet 62 as shown in FIG. 2. The receptacle 20 is now loaded with material to be sprayed. Air valve 60 is closed so as to lock piston 40 in its upper position by vacuum pressure within this sealed portion of the system. The shaft 26 is turned so as to mechanically release piston 40 from the engagement formed between key 54 and key-way 52. Then, the freed shaft 26 is pushed all the way to the bottom of the loading valve 32 so that the cup 34 provides a seal at the fluid inlet 33.

The particular preselected pressure for the material to be sprayed is set on the air pressure regulator 68. Then spraying in a conventional manner is done with the spray gun 88 which, when trigger actuated, causes pressure through inlet 62 to force material from receptacle 20 through outlet hose 90 to the spray gun 88. When the spraying is completed the air compressor (not shown) is turned off and receptacle 20 is bled of air under compression by opening pressure relief valve 70.

In order to clean the equipment, the air valve 60 is opened and shaft 26 is pulled up and turned to engage with piston 46. Then the end of the loading valve 32 is dipped into a bucket of cleaning solvent and the shaft 26 is raised up and down (thereby correspondingly moving the engaged piston 40 within receptacle 20) until receptacle 20 is cleaned. To clean the outlet hose 90 and other connected equipment load the receptacle 20 with cleaning fluid in the same manner as described previously for spraying material, turn compressor on and spray by trigger release of the spray gun 88 as when spraying material. This quickly cleans the apparatus and allows the use of two part materials which set up quickly, such as epoxies, that would otherwise tend to set up before conventional cleaning could be completed.

When loading the receptacle 20 some material may dribble from the valve 32 before shaft 26 is lowered to close inlet 33, as previously described. To prevent this a retainer cap 92 is provided to cover the lower end of valve 32 under inlet 33. A form of cap 92 which can be attached by means of a holding bracket 96 to the edge of a bucket 98 is shown in FIG. 4.

The form of this invention shown and described hereinbefore is not meant as a limitation on the structures and apparatus which may be used so long as encompassed by the scope of the claims herein. Rather, this specification is intended as illustrative of one embodiment which incorporates structure and apparatus disclosing the concept of this invention. Other forms and modifications within the spirit of this invention are intended to be covered by the defined claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A pressure pot for material spraying equipment including: a cylindrical receptacle capable of being sealingly closed, said receptacle having a material inlet, an air pressure inlet and a material outlet; a piston slidably mounted within said cylindrical receptacle and sealingly conforming to the interior thereof; means for moving said piston between a material loading position wherein said material inlet is open, and a loaded position wherein said piston permits communication between said air pressure inlet and said material outlet within said receptacle, and wherein movement of said piston from said loading position to said loaded position can create suction induced loading of material into said receptacle through said loading inlet; means for holding said piston securely as it is moved from said loading position to said loaded position; means for locking said piston in said loaded position; and means for closing said material inlet.

2. A pressure pot as defined in claim 1 wherein a shaft is movably mounted within said receptacle, said piston is slidably mounted on said shaft and means are provided for moving said shaft.

3. A pressure pot as defined in claim 2 wherein releasable engaging means are provided for holding said piston securely to said shaft as it is moved from said loading position to said loaded position.

4. A pressure pot as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for locking said piston in loading position is an air pressure valve which can be closed so as to hold said piston in position by pressure within said receptacle.

5. A pressure pot as defined in claim 4 wherein the means for closing said material inlet is a sealing cup secured to an end of said shaft and said shaft is positioned so that the end having said sealing cup can be moved to close said material inlet.

6. A pressure pot as defined in claim 5 wherein said shaft is axially mounted within said cylindrical receptacle, said piston is axially mounted on said shaft and provided with means for sealing against leakage between said shaft and said piston.

7. A pressure pot as defined in claim 6 wherein said material inlet is in a loading end of said receptacle, said piston is adjacent to said material inlet in said loading end when it is in said loading position, said piston is in the end of said receptacle remote from said loading end when moved to said loaded position and said pressure inlet and material outlet are located in said receptacle between said loading end thereof and the space occupied therein by said piston when it is in its loaded position in the end of said receptacle remote from said loading end.

8. A pressure pot as defined in claim 7 wherein the releasable engaging means for holding said piston to said shaft comprises a key way and mating key.

9. A pressure pot as defined in claim 7 wherein a hollow loading valve extends axially from the loading end of said receptacle, said material inlet is formed in the free end of said loading valve and said shaft can be moved into said loading valve so that the sealing cap on the end thereof can close said material inlet.

10. A pressure pot as defined in claim 7 in combination with material spraying equipment including a spray gun and an air pressure source wherein means are provided to interconnect said spray gun and said air pressure source with said receptacle through said material outlet and said pressure inlet, respectively. 

1. A pressure pot for material spraying equipment including: a cylindrical receptacle capable of being sealingly closed, said receptacle having a material inlet, an air pressure inlet and a material outlet; a piston slidably mounted within said cylindrical receptacle and sealingly conforming to the interior thereof; means for moving said piston between a material loading position wherein said material inlet is open, and a loaded position wherein said piston permits communication between said air pressure inlet and said material outlet within said receptacle, and wherein movement of said piston from said loading position to said loaded position can create suction induced loading of material into said receptacle through said loading inlet; means for holding said piston securely as it is moved from said loading position to said loaded position; means for locking said piston in said loaded position; and means for closing said material inlet.
 2. A pressure pot as defined in claim 1 wherein a shaft is movably mounted within said receptacle, said piston is slidably mounted on said shaft and means are provided for moving said shaft.
 3. A pressure pot as defined in claim 2 wherein releasable engaging means are provided for holding said piston securely to said shaft as it is moved from said loading position to said loaded position.
 4. A pressure pot as defined in claim 3 wherein said means for locking said piston in loading position is an air pressure valve which can be closed so as to hold said piston in position by pressure within said receptacle.
 5. A pressure pot as defined in claim 4 wherein the means for closing said material inlet is a sealing cup secured to an end of said shaft and said shaft is positioned so that the end having said sealing cup can be moved to close said material inlet.
 6. A pressure pot as defined in claim 5 wherein said shaft is axially mounted within said cylindrical receptacle, said piston is axially mounted on said shaft and provided with means for sealing against leakage between said shaft and said piston.
 7. A pressure pot as defined in claim 6 wherein said material inlet is in a loading end of said receptacle, said piston is adjacent to said material inlet in said loadinG end when it is in said loading position, said piston is in the end of said receptacle remote from said loading end when moved to said loaded position and said pressure inlet and material outlet are located in said receptacle between said loading end thereof and the space occupied therein by said piston when it is in its loaded position in the end of said receptacle remote from said loading end.
 8. A pressure pot as defined in claim 7 wherein the releasable engaging means for holding said piston to said shaft comprises a key way and mating key.
 9. A pressure pot as defined in claim 7 wherein a hollow loading valve extends axially from the loading end of said receptacle, said material inlet is formed in the free end of said loading valve and said shaft can be moved into said loading valve so that the sealing cap on the end thereof can close said material inlet.
 10. A pressure pot as defined in claim 7 in combination with material spraying equipment including a spray gun and an air pressure source wherein means are provided to interconnect said spray gun and said air pressure source with said receptacle through said material outlet and said pressure inlet, respectively. 